Margaret B. Kelly

Who is Margaret B. Kelly?

Margaret Blake Kelly is an American accountant and politician from Missouri. She served as the State Auditor of Missouri from 1984 to 1999. She was the first woman to hold statewide office in Missouri, and the fourth Certified Public Accountant to hold the auditor's position. She is a Republican.

Kelly was born in Crystal City, Missouri. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Missouri in 1957. She also received a MBA from Missouri State University in 1975 and earned her CPA certification in 1982. Before entering public life, Kelly worked for 20 years for various private sector accounting firms.

Kelly's first elected position was as Cole County Auditor. She was elected to that position in 1982. In July 1984, Governor Kit Bond appointed Kelly as State Auditor, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of James F. Antonio. Upon her appointment, Kelly became the first woman to hold statewide elected office in Missouri.In November of that year, Harriett Woods was elected Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, giving Woods the distinction of being the first woman elected to statewide office.